Houston keeps series alive with game five victory
Hope
The Houston Rockets kept their playoff hopes alive with an exciting game five victory over the Los Angeles Lakers, using disciplined defence and balanced scoring to force the match to a game six clash.
Houston controlled large parts of the contest and showed resilience in the fourth quarter, responding effectively after the Lakers attempted a late comeback, a lapse in perfomance compared to their game 3 collapse.
The result keeps alive a rare comeback bid. No team in NBA history has overturned a 3-0 series deficit, although four have managed to force a Game Seven after trailing.
Game 6 is scheduled for Friday in Houston.
A youthful Rockets starting 5, all aged 24 or younger, delivered a collective performance with all five players scoring in double figures. Jabari Smith Jr. led with 22 points and seven rebounds, while Alperen Sengun contributed 14 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.
Reed Sheppard bounced back from earlier mistakes with 12 points, six assists and three steals. His late-game sequence, including a jump shot and steal off LeBron James leading to a dunk, extended Houston’s lead to seven points with just over two minutes remaining.
Tari Eason added 18 points, while Amen Thompson impressed with 15 points, seven rebounds, four assists and four steals.
The Lakers struggled offensively, particularly from long range. After shooting 46.1 percent from three-point range in the opening three games, they have dropped to 24.5 percent in the last two defeats.
LeBron James finished with 25 points and seven assists but failed to convert any of his six attempts from beyond the arc. Austin Reaves went 2-for-8, while Luke Kennard, one of the league’s top shooters during the regular season, was held to minimal impact.
Despite a strong showing from Deandre Ayton, who recorded 18 points and 17 rebounds, the Lakers were held below 100 points for the second straight game.
Houston has now won consecutive games without Kevin Durant, who remains sidelined with injury.
